Report: Lakers believed to be favorites to land DeMarcus Cousins if bought out by Rockets

Several teams reportedly are expected to make a run at Houston Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins once he is bought out by the team.

Cousins, 30, finally made his return to the court this season after suffering a torn ACL prior to the Lakers’ 2019-20 season.

It was a big step forward for Cousins, as he has suffered several serious injuries over the past few years.

Now, the Lakers reportedly are the favorite to sign Cousins once he is bought out. The Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat are also expected to make a run at the four-time All-Star.

While Cousins isn’t the same player he used to be, he could help the Lakers right now with Anthony Davis on the shelf.

This season, Cousins is averaging 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per game.

However, he is shooting just 37.6 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc this year.

While it is unlikely that he would play a big role for the Lakers, Cousins could provide them with bench depth as a proven veteran.

If he exceeds expectations, the Lakers would be getting a All-Star caliber center for very little on the buyout market.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Cousins averages 20.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for his career. If he can be closer to that player with the Lakers, he would make them lethal down the stretch of this season.